Travel writing

Based in the
Cotswolds, I've been writing about wildlife and travel for my entire working life. My travels have taken me all over the world (but my bucket list never seems to get any smaller!). You can find out more below, including my latest books and some examples of travel features. There's also lots more on my blog!

I've been a travel writer for around 30 years. It's been an interesting journey! And I don't just mean the 80-odd countries that I've been lucky enough to visit. My twins (now 23) have helped me get to know every aspect of family travel, while my passion for wildlife and wild places continues to inspire me to track down the world's natural spectacles.

Perhaps the bumpiest, most exciting ride, though, has been keeping pace with the ever-changing world of media. From old-school travel journo to new-age digital nomad – no-one can pretend it's been easy! But let's face it: at the end of the day it's still all about the words... Words that create a sense of place. Words that bring those places to life. Words that transport readers there.

So, if you're looking for inspirational content for your new brochure or website, an eye-catching blog tingling with firsthand experience, or some sharply-written, authoritative content on family or wildlife travel from a well-respected expert, I'd be delighted to discuss your ideas.

Brilliantly descriptive. Lovely turn of phrase, well structured and evocative and compels you to read until the end

KIND WORDS FROM THE BRITISH GUILD OF TRAVEL WRITERS

LATEST BOOKS

My first book, Coral Reefs & Islands was published in 1993 when I was 24. It's a bit hard to find nowadays (!), but I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to write about a subject so close to my heart. The book was also a springboard to writing other titles, including several guidebooks for Footprint. I've recently finished a book for Bradt, which combines my two passions: wildlife travel and family travel. See below for more details.

Family Wildlife Adventures

When you’re a child, everything about nature is a revelation, every small wonder holds you rapt with curiosity. And now more than ever, we desperately need to help young people nurture a love of wildlife. Read more...

Wildlife Travel

With my background as a zoologist, I've spent my life tracking down the world’s best wildlife experiences. My travels have taken me from the High Arctic in search of polar bears to the Serengeti on the trail of the Great Migration. In Wildlife Travel you will find all the information and inspiration needed to plan your own dream wildlife trip.

Travel with Kids

Family holidays are precious, hard-earned and over all-too-quickly. This 400-page guide helps you get them right – before it’s too late and your kids want to go on their own. It's packed with inspiration for taking your kids anywhere, from Cornwall to Cambodia, Andalucia to Zambia. BGTW Guidebook of the Year 2009.

Coral Reefs & Islands

Subtitled the Natural History of a Threatened Paradise, this title was highly commended in the 1993 Conservation Book Prize. The late Professor David Bellamy wrote the foreword. My first book, it was inspired following several weeks of research on Heron Island.

Britain with Kids

A follow-up title to the worldwide Travel with Kids, this book is full of ideas for family travel in Britain, including child-friendly beaches, big days out, pitch-perfect campsites, eating out, bike rides, walks, surf spots and loads of inspiration for activities that are 'fun and free'.

Cornwall with Kids

Now in its 2nd edition, this best-selling, 192-page, full-colour guide covers 90 beaches, big days out (from the Eden project to castles, museums, gardens and aquariums), campsites, beach hotels and cottages, bike rides, boat trips, sea kayaking, surfing, walks and more...

Europe with Kids

From island-hopping through the Aegean to whale-watching in Iceland, Europe is full of potential for adventurous families. As well as action plans for city breaks, self-drives and theme parks, there's also advice on how to keep everyone – from tots to teens – happy.

Zambia and Victoria Falls

Vast tracts of wilderness, sensational wildlife and few other tourists... Zambia has been dubbed 'The Real Africa' – and the moment you set foot in one of its national parks, you'll understand why. Now in its 5th edition, the title includes a pull-out map.

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EXAMPLES OF TRAVEL FEATURES

Exciting travel does not automatically make exciting reading. I've always believed that writing effective and inspiring travel copy is as much about delving into the realms of vocabulary and grammar as it is about exploring landscapes, wildlife and culture. I think you have to love the written word. Below, you will find a small selection of features published in newspapers, magazines and websites that give a flavour of the kind of travel writing that I specialise in. Scroll through the gallery and click on the covers to read each feature in full. For a more comprehensive portfolio of my travel writing articles, please sign up to my blog.

AUSTRALIA

DESTINATION FEATURE
The water’s surface was smooth and flawless, like green satin unfurled beneath the riverside trees. The first thing that struck me was how small the platypuses were – just 30 or 40cm in length. At first glance it looked like someone had chucked a pair of old brown slippers into the river.

SOUTH INDIA

FAMILY TRAVEL FEATURE
Descending from the Ghats onto the dusty plains of Tamil Nadu, we lurched into the city amid a maelstrom of fumes and horn blasts, black and yellow tuk-tuks swarming around us like angry bees. Our hotel provided momentary refuge before we set out, on foot, to Minakshi Temple.

CORNWALL

ACCOMMODATION REVIEW
There’s nothing rustic about Rusty. Forced to share a field with a couple of blousy safari tents, he’s the non-conformist, heavy metal sibling at Chymder Farm near Mullion. Half tin, half tent, the converted shipping container hunkers down in the grass beneath a rakish canvas awning.

ZAMBIA

WILDLIFE FEATURE
Your gaze is never still during a game drive in South Luangwa. Eyes dart from one ebony tree to the next, flitting through the twists and turns of old river channels and probing every shadowy bushwillow thicket. There are leopards out there – probably in higher densities than anywhere in Africa...

ICELAND

DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT
A bright green pyramid rising above a black desert, Maelifell adds a psychedelic splash to Iceland’s austere volcanic interior. Cloaked in lime-coloured moss, the volcano stands just 200m above plains of basalt gravel – a luminescent pimple on the charred hide of Iceland’s southwest Highlands.

CANARY ISLANDS

FAMILY HOLIDAY REVIEW
There’s enough lycra on this island to stretch to the moon and back. Everywhere you look, densely-packed pelotons of hardcore road racers clad in dazzling, skin-tight all-in-one bodysuits are zipping past, their leg muscles writhing like mating pythons.

AUSTRALIA

TRAVEL INSPIRATION BOOK
Sitting under the whispering casuarina trees in the dunes above Shark Bay, I lingered after dusk. The noddies were there, as always, flying in close pairs as they skipped across the reef flat. Then other birds appeared amongst them, soaring and pirouetting through the smouldering embers of sunset.

HOLIDAYS FOR TEENS

ROUND-UP FEATURE
What makes the perfect teenage holiday? It depends on what sort of teenager you’ve got. Some want to laze by a pool, others want to change the world. There are teens who want sport and there are teens who want spas. Some teens are desperate for independence, others are happy to spend time with their parents...

TIGERS

WILDLIFE TRAVEL
It was almost as if the tiger had flicked a switch in the forest. One moment it was quiet and calm – the trees swathed in webs of early morning mist – the next, it was charged with tension.

SWEDISH LAPLAND

INTERVIEW
Located about 200km north of the Arctic Circle, the village of Jukkarsjärvi is famous for its Icehotel – created each winter from two-ton blocks of ice sawn from the frozen River Torne. But the surrounding wilderness of frigid lakes and snow-clad forests is also a winter wonderland for husky sledging and other activities.

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TRAVEL CONTENT: LET'S WORK TOGETHER!

There are lots of writers out there. And content providers, bloggers and influencers too. I don't claim to have a gazillion Instagram or Twitter followers (just a modest 1,200 or so for each), but I can offer you my 30+ years experience as a travel writer, photographer and editor. Most of all, however, I can offer you high-quality writing – the kind of writing, I hope, that could give your website some sparkle, or lift your brochure out of the ordinary.

Editorial & Content

PHOTOGRAPHY

WILLGRAY